CHAPTER TWELVE

*****

Kissing Sean in the water felt ‘good’. It suddenly brings it all back,that night, four years ago, she realized that she loved kissing him, before, during and then after ..

And now ,the man before her was the boy, he was sure, his lips firm and the way his tongue caressed her lips was that of a man who knew what he did and liked what he did and melting to his kiss came naturally, all her pent up emotions suddenly melted away, her stiffness, her walls and years of desire comes stumbling down..

And when he pulls her closer to kiss her…she ached.

Untill..

“Mummy?” that tiny voice felt like cold iced water being poured on top of her head hitting her with a thousand senses.

What the hell was she doing and why the hell was she kissing Sean O’Conner?

Oh God!!

Her eyes shoots open, her walls come back up and so did her anger, she pushes him away and slaps him again square in the face and drags herself out of the water, she grabs kiki’s hands and begins to walk away, followed by a very confused Tonia and leaves behind a very shocked Zachary.

Sean comes out of the water touching his face, he swears he couldn’t remember how many slaps he just received in one day… he rubs his cheeks.

“What the actual fxxk was that Sean? I thought you said you didn’t like hot sexy mother, what the hell mehn?”‘

“I don’t!!”

“‘And you go around kissing chicks you don’t like, did I not get the memo? Why would you kiss her if you don’t like her?”

“I swear I don’t know, I really don’t. It just happened..and I swear Zachary, it felt like I had kissed her before…but damn! she doesn’t hit like a girl, my cheeks burns”

Zachary drinks his beer and hands Sean one “It hurts though but its fine. I think my consolation is that I never stood a chance with her, I talked and gave out all my charms and she didn’t even pick on my lights, didn’t give me a smile. So I already gave up before you swung her over your shoulders though, so may the forces be with you man, but as your friend I will tell you, I think you just burned the bridge because she seemed pretty mad”

”I know, but she kissed me back, was kinda nice..really nice”‘

“So again my question, do you like monster kid’s hot sexy momma?”‘

Sean thinks for a moment ,really…he didn’t. Well, he scratches his head… honestly he has no idea…

But one thing was certain, that little unplanned kiss? He liked it and he would love to kiss her again.

Just to find out if…it was mutual… the likeness of the ‘kiss’that is.

Whatever it was that was pulling him towards Megan, he has to find out.

“I don’t know man, maybe, maybe I do and it’s funny because a few hours ago or days ago I could say no but right this minute, I swear I don’t know”‘

“Well, what you gonna do?”

“What else, stay in her radar, know for sure”‘

“And if you really see that you like her, what next, are you ready to commit to a single mum?”

“‘Erm… I would date her, for real and about that? look, I ain’t getting younger anyways and I know its a huge responsibility but… I like kiki, we sort of click, I mean it I can have a relationship with her little girl the way we do, I guess it wouldn’t be so hard. One thing about liking and loving someone is to be able to love all of that person… baggage, flaws, responsibilities!”

“And Tasha Williams, girlfriend, soon-to-be-fiancé soon-to-be-wife?”

”I told you already, she is great but she has so many issues, all about her and money, she hasn’t asked how work is, how my family is and if I am good, her messages is all about car, party, money…I don’t want to settle for that Zachary… I don’t”‘

“You saw her like that and dated her”

”Yeah! I thought she would change or simmer down”‘

”You can’t change a person Sean”

”I know. But, I really can’t settle for that either..”

Zachary sighs “I pray for you man, God loves you bro, he does, I can only pray for you”‘

Sean laughs “Get out of here,let’s go, need to get them home”‘

*****

”You want to explain that kiss Megan, I mean one minute you hate the guy, next you don’t want him near kiki and now you smooching him in the water and kissing him, what was that, I mean I am happy you getting back in there but… care to explain?”

Megan is fuming.. “he kissed me’

“‘You both were kissing each other, still”‘

“Look, it just happened, I let my guard down and he did, I am furious, I am beyond pissed, how dare he?”

“‘Hmm hmm, I hear you, you liked the kiss didn’t you? Its okay, you both can keep kissing” Tonia chuckles “Really hot kiss there Megan, dammit!!”

Megan rolls her eyes, she is frowning

“Mummy,erm..”Kiki is scratching her head” You kissed Uncle Sean?” she frowns

“‘ Uncle Sean was helping me with something in my eyes” she lies

“Liar!!” Tonia coughs, Megan shoots her a look

“But, you were kissing him, but why did you slap him and kiss him?” Kiki face is contorted in a curious frown

“He made me angry but I wasn’t kissing him”‘

“But Mum you we-“‘

“Kiki, drink your juice” she pushes juice to Kiki’s lips as she saw them coming, determined to avoid him she turns away

“Hey kiki, ready to go?” Sean asks, she nods as he opens the car and she climbs in, he is staring at Megan, she avoids his eye and climbs in behind kiki, Tonia does same trying to hide a smile.

They drive back in silence, Zachary trying to lighten the tension in the air, puts the radio on and sings along to the song playing, soon Tonia joins and kiki too when a kiddies song comes on, Sean and Megan remain quiet and all the while he kept looking at her through the mirror, she seemed really livid and for the life of him he didn’t plan to kiss her nor wanted to… sometimes he couldn’t explain but it felt… right. that was what was bothering him. Maybe he should just apologize to her and try not to make things more awkward.

As soon as they got home, Megan jumps out of the car..”Say your goodbyes Kiki”‘

Kiki turns to Zachary and says a shy bye, then at Sean, she lets go off her mother’s hand and rushes to him and hugs his legs “Bye Uncle Sean,”‘

Sean felt something warm in his heart spreading, he lifts her off the ground and stares into her face “You had fun?”‘ she nods “well I am glad. Goodnight kiddo, I don’t do goodbyes, not with little princess as beautiful as you, by the way”‘ he eyes Megan and lowers his voice “I think I made mummy angry again, what can I get her this time,?”

Kiki giggles and places her little finger to her jaw as though she is thinking,

Tonia has a knowing look on her face when she stares at Megan, see, nature is taking it’s cause Megan,they now gossip together,Megan groans inwardly.What the hell were those too saying ”Kiki, time to go, come down”

Kiki looks at her mother and then back at him “Erm I don’t know, maybe you could get her a big teddy bear, I like teddy bears or now, she really loves one movie, saw it one time, she cries when she watches that movie. She always watch it”‘

“‘Know the name?”

Kiki shakes her head, then she thinks for a moment as her eyes shines, she nods ”its the same as my school book”‘

Sean is confused “‘What?”

”Book! I remember because it’s the same as my school book”‘

”Erm… I don’t know”

”NOTEBOOK!” She giggles shaking her head ”Uncle Sean is dumb”

”Hey I am not dumb” he laughs shaking his head ”Slow not dumb, and I didn’t realize” Sean chuckles, hmm movie and a teddy bear “I could do that” he lifts her from the car, trying to put her down she grabs his neck and hugs him tight “Ohhh hey..aww” he hugs her back and puts her down

“Goodnight Sean O’Conner”” Tonia says “And you too Zachary”

“Night” Sean and Zachary says “Megan, can I talk to you for a minute please?”

“Goodbye Sean” she says turning away and going into her house with Tonia and Kiki following.

“”Live to fight another day son” Zachary grabs his shoulders and turns him away “Live to fight another day”

*****

Kiki was fast asleep when Tonia comes into the room, “Still pissed?”

“Yes!!”

“Why though??”

“‘What do you mean why do, he forced himself on me””

“‘No he didn’t, he kissed you, he probably likes you.”‘

“No he doesn’t, he took advantage of the situation”

”What if he does like you though? I mean would it be so bad, do you know how hard it is to have your baby daddy come back after a few years and wants to have something with the mother of his child?”

“Well he doesn’t know that and what is to say he doesn’t run with the tail between his legs when he does, now he might think it cool to flirt with a single mother, he can always hit and run, no strings attached.”‘

“Do you like him?”

“What’s with the 21 questions Tonia, whose side are you on?”

“Kiki’s side, if it works out,it’s a win Megan, I mean…the way those two connect, don’t you see that everything, nature, God wants them to find themselves..?””

”Drop it Tonia, please, that kiss or whatever happened tonight is never happening again, Sean would soon get bored and forget about kiki and life will go on”‘

“Especially when you aren’t the one wearing the shoes you think it’s that easy to just forget about four years ago and move on like it never happened. He left, he didn’t care about the girl who showed up years ago, he won’t care about her when he finds out that I am the girl nor the child is his, reality hits you square in the face Tonia and all this you see him exhibiting is just superficial, it would go and I would be left with a broken child who would go back into her shell,worse than this… I am talking my daughter away Tonia, all this has to stop, I am doing it for her”‘ Megan says turning

“Okay, if you believe that, okay but today, you are not running away for Kiki, you are running away for you.” Tonia leaves her.

What the hell does that mean? Megan stares at the closed door.

*****

By Monday morning, dropping off Kiki at school she had gone to the proprietress “You really want to?”

“”Yes, you said you will make the transfer”‘

“But it’s exams period Megan, in two weeks they would go on break, why don’t you wait? she wouldn’t be able to cope once you pull her out, all schools got exams this period”‘

“She is smart, Kiki won’t have any problem”‘

“Even the smartest kids needs time, I have already prepared it but think about your daughter Megan, after the exams with her results you can pull her out…please”‘

Megan felt like everyone was working against her to keep Kiki in the vicinity of where Sean would be able to see her…

“Megan Philips, at the end it is your decision, she is your daughter after all, whatever happens should be on you not us”

DAMNIT !!

“Okay,two weeks “‘

*****

Divine meets her at the door, “So, leaving?”

“‘In two weeks,after the exams. “”

“Okay, glad, at least she gets to be with her friends longer”

Megan remembers something and then pauses “‘I wonder, do you know who gave Mr Sean O’Conner my address?”‘

That look of guilt ,”I am sorry, it was me, he was so sweet and said he wanted to apologize, I wanted to tell you but you were so angry that day”

Megan sighs “”Please don’t ever give strangers my address or any information about me, I don’t care if they look like Jesus and sound like an angel”‘

”Sorry Megan” she says as Megan walks away

*****

For the next couple of days, Sean found it hard to concentrate. He had made up his mind to stay away from Megan and her daughter and try not to make her hate him any further but something keeps making him think about her and when he does, he also is reminded of her little girl and it didn’t make sense to him.

And he realised, since he kissed her, he thinks about her a lot, when he sleeps, he sees her, but in his dreams, they are not in the pool, they are in a different environment and the vision is blurred but he could swear it was her… he touches the scar at his temple..

What was he trying to remember that he cant’. That fall was years ago, after graduation.. but the doctor says he was good, he had temporary amnesia, 24 hours max but he remembered everything else afterwards… but why did he feel like there was something missing..

He sighs..

When he isn’t working, he is hanging with Zachary and when he is doing neither he is home, and some days too often he is thinking about her… then when his thoughts gets to kiki, he smiles. She reminds him so much of something too.. the way she smiles and the way her eyes lights up. He loved children, never been so close to any but he was a lover of children; there was something uniquely different about this child kiki, he feels warmth for her, like what someone would feel for someone they know and love and it was strangely unsettling too.

But the most unsettling one was her mother, there is that feeling of familiarity, especially when he kissed her lips like he had kissed those lips once before and the way she tasted. They used to say that every woman has a distinctive taste and right now he believes. He had kissed a few women and he could attest to them being different and yet he could swear that this wasn’t the first time he had kissed Megan Philips… and that was a mystery.

He spoke to Zachary about it but the fool laughed and told him “You like her Sean, just admit it” and he didn’t have a reply for that.

Tasha called again, this time he spoke to her,but he realized something, he really wasn’t talking about her excessive-ness because he wanted to push her away because he was tired of her, he liked her, a lot at some point, maybe enough but when a woman is only with you for your money and status, it shows. To her, he was her trophy man, the one she shows off to her friends, the one she brags about and gets so much from. He wanted love, compassion, realness and a woman who isn’t concerned only about all material wealth. If and when he finds that woman, he would give her the world whether she asks or not, and sadly, Tasha wasn’t that woman. He needs to break it off with her, not because he met Megan and maybe likes her, Megan or not, Tasha…wasn’t the one. He needs to end it.

Would it be so bad to do it over the phone, or fly over and do so?

He sighs running a hand through his hair.

Tomorrow was Kiki’s birthday, he marked it on his calendar… he should do something nice for the little girl and maybe he could talk to Megan too about that kiss and find out for certain if he has feelings for her.

“She is my daughter too Charles, mine and my granddaughter and I hurt day and night, I forgive her, I do, and I am tired, I won’t live forever. I am getting old and I won’t die without making up with my child and you should put your pride and ego aside and forgive her. She left me too, not just you, it’s been four years, four..it’s a long time to hold a grudge and I am tired, I am tired. I want to see my granddaughter and hold her and kiss her and make up for the time lost, I want to look into my daughter’s eyes and I tell her I love her and that she did good for herself, she is strong and she did good Charles, our baby did okay” She cries, tears rolling down

“I won’t forgive and that is that!!” Charles gets up and leaves the room

Ruth is holding the picture of Kiki she hid under the bed. She had gone out to pick up the parcel Megan left when Charles was away… she had read the letters, cried and she had kissed Kiki’s picture.

She made up her mind,with Charles or not, She was going to find her daughter and granddaughter, the address was there, she would write it out and put it on the table, if he wanted to come he should, if not she was done being unforgiving. She was!.

*****

“‘How many kids are you expecting?” Tonia asks setting the table as people begin to show up with kids, they were using the outside, they have already placed small canopies and chairs… it was a small party for kiki and her classmates.. homemade food and pastries, juice, drinks a clown and a small cake.

“15 kids and their parents, that’s all” Megan says

“Where is Kiki?”

”Oh you know her, she’s excited ” then she frowns “She wants to wear the Tiara and bracelet Sean got her, she doesn’t listen to me anymore. She has been playing with that tab all day everyday too”

“Let her, it’s her birthday!”

Kiki comes out, dressd in a beautiful pink dress, holding a princess wand, wearing the Tiara and bracelet and lookS beautiful.. ”Mummy, I look like a princess”

“‘Yes you do baby, my very own” Megan picks her up and kisses her “Ready? All your friends are waiting for you”‘

“Yes..”‘ she squeals

*****

Three hours later, kids screaming and running everywhere, Megan playing the perfect host and Tonia helping her, Kiki was having the time of her life, parents mingling..and everything was going on well until someone drives in and alights opening his booth to reveal a big present that was wrapped which he drags down from his car, a passenger seated in the car didn’t come down.

Tonia taps Megan who looks up “Oh Lord no” Megan exclaims

Kiki sees him and squeals in excitement running to him “You came!!” she jumps at him,

Sean envelops her in a hug..”Yes, and I brought you a present, what is a princess without her very own castle! ” he points at it, kiki screams as her friends run and gather about him.

Then, from the corner, Megan saw her, a woman coming down from a taxi, looking at the paper in her hands, she was staring at the houses as one confused, looking around.. When their eyes meets, Megan staggers up… even blind, she would recognize her.

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Stephanie Egberike is a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, where she studied Sociology.
She runs an Ushering and Events Agency based in Port Harcourt called " De-vonte".
When she is not busy chasing life and hustling on the bright side of the streets, she is a prolific writer, content developer and a creative story teller.
She writes creative short story series for Www.Madivas.com, on their African stories categories amongst others.
When she isn't writing she is busy enjoying life, loving her family and being a free spirit.
She is a lover , a friend , a child , a bosslady, God’s own. And she likes to call her fingers "ItchyFingers".. A big smiler and an indepth thinker.